Media A2 Homework over Half Term for Monday 31st October

Create a detailed, annotated flat plan of your planned CD cover (digipack).

This must include 4 panels (see above). Your annotations should include coverage of the 7 questions on the sheet - these are below.

Task:
Analyse 3 different types of CD cover (digipack) design from the examples in the lesson by answering the following 7 questions:

Name of album, artist, date produced:
Number of panels in digipack:

1. Is there a relationship between the cover and the other panels in the digipack (CD case)? How do they link together (colour, images, theme etc)? Does the band have a ‘house style’ by creating a brand identity?
2. Analyse the choice of image, font and colour and explore their effects/connotations.
3. Comment on layout and page design (white space/visual clutter). What is the effect of these?
Remember this is a commercial object. How has the designer tried to make it desirable or eye catching?
4. Does the design suggest the genre of the band? Look at design, typography (serif/sans serif)

5. Does it use any iconography of the genre?
6. Does it develop the band or artist’s star image through motif’s/the key image is the artist/a logo?
7. What industry information is included and where is it seen? (name of album, artist, record label logo, release date, producer, information on associated social networking sites, copyright logo? etc.)

CD COVERS: What is a digipack?
- The content of a digipak is exactly the same as in usual CD covers, it is just getting dimensions and folds correct.
- They can fold in a variety of different ways. The most simple ones are a piece of card which measures 57cm x 12.5cm. The 57cm is for 4 panels of 14cm each and a spine.
- The two outside panels fold to the centre and are stuck down making a kind of greetings card effect. Others have pockets for booklets, or have two spines and fold in twice. All need to have space to put the CD/DVD, either in a pocket, or more usually in plastic press in panel - like in a normal CD case.

Digipacks are a type of CD packaging made out of card stock or other heavy paper/cardboard material.
Digipacks can flip open like a book, or it can have three parts, so that one portion of the packaging opens to the right and one to the left, with the CD in the center portion.
Usually, the portion of the digipack that hold the CD is made of plastic like a traditional jewel case CD - the plastic part is simply attached to the paper background.


Checklist of what MUST be on your blog by 31st October:
1. Target audience profile
2. Final storyboards creatively presented and annotated on your blog
3. Analysis of 2 - 5 CD covers similar to the genre of your music – annotate how they create a brand identity and make use of the conventions using class notes and the 7 questions.
4. Detailed flat plan of your CD cover (digipack) – 4 panels carefully annotated using the 7 questions (see hgsmediaa2.blogspot.com or sheet for questions)

Still shots for your Ancillary Tasks (CD cover and Magazine Advert)

Take 10 – 20 still camera shots (original images) for both ancillary tasks.

Under each, annotate with:
(a)how you will use editing effects to manipulate each image
(b) how it will suggest a brand identity (through colour, motif, style etc) for your album

Consider;

Lighting: high key or low key?

Colour scheme: ensure this ties in with your house colours/genre characteristics to establish a brand identity

Costume / Props: can you encorporate image motifs here?

Mode of Address / Positioning: consider posture/eyeline/direct or indirect address

Camera Angle: ensure you use a range of shots and angles to create interest

Creating a brand identity: Case study of Florence and the Machine CD cover

Establishing a brand identity = keeping certain elements the same (consistant) between all of your products

1. Establish the genre characteristics of your band




A hybrid of rock and soul
Indie rock?
Art rock?
Baroque Pop?
Soul?
Experimental?

Ensure your brand reflects these genre charactertistics through keeping the following elements consistant across all products (CD cover, magazine advert and music video):
2. Ensure you keep the following features consistant:

- Typeface? Serif/Sans serif?
- Star Image Motifs / Logos?
- House Colours?
- Style Features – icons?
- Selling the music through the artist’s


own image?










Annotation your flat plans for your ancillary tasks (CD cover and magazine advert):

How will I be marked - Construction

Music Video: 40 marks.
Band 4: candidates are expected to show excellence in:
- holding a shot steady, where appropriate;
- framing a shot, including and excluding elements as appropriate;
- using a variety of shot distances as appropriate;
- shooting material appropriate to the task set;
- selecting mise-en-scène including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting;
- editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer;
- using varied shot transitions, captions and other effects selectively and appropriately;
- using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task.

Tips:

- Quick cuts (montage effect / on the beat of the music) – shoot more footage than you think you need. Lots of frames, lots of different angles.
- Begin the music before starting the visuals to create some suspense / anticipation?
- Close up of an image (a shoe / lips / fingers tapping) to hook audience in first frame?
- Location! Location! Location! An interesting setting makes all the difference: London? A beach? An open field? In front of g graffiti filled wall? In an underpass? NOT in your bedroom / at school!!
- Lip syncing MUST be accurate
- Goodwin’s principals: notion of looking / image motifs / visuals to lyrics, music , genre conventions etc.
- Create lots of dramatic camera angles. Vary them throughout. Take 10 shots of one pose/scene from lots of angles – Ariel shots / Worms eye?
- Experiment with effects: colourisation / split screens/ clever camera tricks (cropping sections out)
- Simple works! Shoes tapping to the beat. Fingers tapping.
- Slow motion effects: smashed mirrors. Smoke effects. Wind blowing paper/feathers/hair


Ancillary Tasks: CD cover (10 marks) and Magazine Advert (10 marks) as part of a digipack
The candidate is expected to demonstrate excellence in the creative use of most of the following technical skills:
using IT appropriately for the task set;

showing understanding of conventions of layout and page design;

showing awareness of the need for variety in fonts and text size;

accurate use of language and register;

appropriately integrating illustration and text;

framing a shot, including and excluding elements as appropriate;

using a variety of shot distances as appropriate;

shooting material appropriate to the task set;

selecting mise-en-scène including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting;

manipulating photographs as appropriate to the context for presentation, including within text, within particular IT programmes, cropping and resizing.

Where a candidate has worked in a group, an excellent contribution to construction is evident.

COURSEWORK DEADLINES 2011-12

All Editing to be completed by: Wednesday 1st December (4 weeks after half term)

Filming must be done outside lesson time.

Lesson time from Mon 17th October will be spent making 2 ancillary tasks and/or editing.

Planning Blog: Ancillary Tasks

What MUST appear on your blog to show planning for your ancillary tasks:

PLANNING MUST BE COMPLETED BY Thursday 24th November

1. Flat plans of your CD cover, magazine advert and/or website annotated to show how you have met the conventions of each

2. Original images taken for each ancillary task, annotated with how you will use editing effects to manipulate each image

3. Research into similar magazine adverts and CD covers that have given you inspiration for your ancillary tasks.
Use the questions below to help you:
- Is there a relationship between the video and the single’s artwork? How do they link together (colour, images, theme etc)?
- Analyse the choice of image, font and colour and explore their effects/connotations.
- Comment on layout and page design.
- Remember this is a commercial object. How has the designer tried to make it desirable or eye catching?
- Does the design suggest the genre of the band? Does it use any iconography of the genre?
- Does it develop the band or artist’s star image?
- What industry information is included (record label etc.)?


4. Post details of how you have created a brand identity through your magazine advert and CD cover. There should be a separate post for yout research and explaination of:
(a) House colours
(b) Typeography
(c) Images used
(d) Layout and design